How to Advocate for Yourself in a Broken Healthcare System

Health and wellness advocacy 0:01

I'm going to say the whole darn thing in I'm going to say the whole darn thing in health and wellness. We've taken health and wellness. We've taken health and wellness. We've taken advantage of people and it's time for advantage of people and it's time for advantage of people and it's time for them to ask and know the questions to them to ask and know the questions to them to ask and know the questions to ask certificate of analysis. If you're ask certificate of analysis. If you're ask certificate of analysis. If you're taking a supplement, ask about the taking a supplement, ask about the taking a supplement, ask about the quality, know about it, and then ask the quality, know about it, and then ask the quality, know about it, and then ask the questions are do I really want to take a questions are do I really want to take a questions are do I really want to take a pharmaceutical for a symptom or do I pharmaceutical for a symptom or do I pharmaceutical for a symptom or do I want to try and find the root of the want to try and find the root of the want to try and find the root of the cause of why I'm having this problem and cause of why I'm having this problem and cause of why I'm having this problem and let me fix the problem and not take a let me fix the problem and not take a let me fix the problem and not take a pharmaceutical to mask a, you know, a pharmaceutical to mask a, you know, a pharmaceutical to mask a, you know, a symptom. We've been told for a long time

Questioning pharmaceuticals and root causes 0:27

symptom. We've been told for a long time symptom. We've been told for a long time that really the body does the healing that really the body does the healing that really the body does the healing and it's physicians just trying to kind and it's physicians just trying to kind and it's physicians just trying to kind of keep the brain active on the person of keep the brain active on the person of keep the brain active on the person who has the disease until they get who has the disease until they get who has the disease until they get better. All the other stuff we're doing better. All the other stuff we're doing better. All the other stuff we're doing is just to try to keep them thinking is just to try to keep them thinking is just to try to keep them thinking that we're trying to help. Now that's that we're trying to help. Now that's that we're trying to help. Now that's not 100% but there's a lot of truth in not 100% but there's a lot of truth in not 100% but there's a lot of truth in that. If your people that work with you

Trust, listening, and patient-centered care 0:46

that. If your people that work with you that. If your people that work with you trust you and they know that you're not trust you and they know that you're not trust you and they know that you're not trying to sell them a bunch of stuff and trying to sell them a bunch of stuff and trying to sell them a bunch of stuff and that you're not trying to write a script that you're not trying to write a script that you're not trying to write a script and say go away, hope it gets better. and say go away, hope it gets better.

and say go away, hope it gets better. Only come back if it doesn't. And really Only come back if it doesn't. And really Only come back if it doesn't. And really the body just healed with or without the body just healed with or without the body just healed with or without that drug anyway. If they want to be that drug anyway. If they want to be that drug anyway. If they want to be able to know that they're heard and back able to know that they're heard and back able to know that they're heard and back to my why

Why listening matters in medicine 1:06

to my why to my why because as you can tell I like to talk. because as you can tell I like to talk. because as you can tell I like to talk. I like to educate I like to educate I like to educate and I do have a lot of knowledge in my and I do have a lot of knowledge in my and I do have a lot of knowledge in my head from a lot of different things is head from a lot of different things is head from a lot of different things is that that that learning to listen is the cancer learning to listen is the cancer learning to listen is the cancer patients and the pain patients too. The patients and the pain patients too. The patients and the pain patients too. The patients have taught me to work with my patients have taught me to work with my patients have taught me to work with my challenge of not being a naturally being challenge of not being a naturally being challenge of not being a naturally being a great listener that they've taught me a great listener that they've taught me a great listener that they've taught me that because you know when they say they that because you know when they say they that because you know when they say they go to the oncologist and the oncologist

Broken systems and better treatment approaches 1:36

go to the oncologist and the oncologist go to the oncologist and the oncologist has the hand on the door when they're has the hand on the door when they're has the hand on the door when they're saying hello and they don't know their saying hello and they don't know their saying hello and they don't know their name. They can't remember their name and name. They can't remember their name and name. They can't remember their name and they just say you have stage four they just say you have stage four they just say you have stage four terminal cancer you work with the nurse terminal cancer you work with the nurse terminal cancer you work with the nurse after this and we're going to start after this and we're going to start after this and we're going to start chemo radiation surgery and they walk chemo radiation surgery and they walk chemo radiation surgery and they walk out the door. That's not good. They out the door. That's not good. They out the door. That's not good. They weren't heard. They don't they don't weren't heard. They don't they don't weren't heard. They don't they don't even understand their disease. It's a even understand their disease. It's a even understand their disease. It's a terrible way to be doing medicine. But terrible way to be doing medicine. But terrible way to be doing medicine. But in the defense of the doctors, Gary, in the defense of the doctors, Gary, in the defense of the doctors, Gary, they don't have time. They're worn out.

they don't have time. They're worn out. they don't have time. They're worn out. They're in a broken system. They have to They're in a broken system. They have to They're in a broken system. They have to stick within that box. They can't step stick within that box. They can't step stick within that box. They can't step outside of it. It's terrible for

Dr. Deniseu2019s problem-solving approach 2:06

outside of it. It's terrible for outside of it. It's terrible for everyone involved. The system is everyone involved. The system is everyone involved. The system is completely broken. That's why we are completely broken. That's why we are completely broken. That's why we are being proponents of there's a better way being proponents of there's a better way being proponents of there's a better way to do this and treat this. So, you know, to do this and treat this. So, you know, to do this and treat this. So, you know, my why, my challenge on the why of my why, my challenge on the why of my why, my challenge on the why of listening has been listening has been listening has been honed and taught to me when I'm in front honed and taught to me when I'm in front honed and taught to me when I'm in front of a patient. When I'm talking to of a patient. When I'm talking to of a patient. When I'm talking to everybody else, I'm talking, but when everybody else, I'm talking, but when everybody else, I'm talking, but when I'm in front of a patient, I'm I'm in front of a patient, I'm I'm in front of a patient, I'm listening. People say, "Dr. Warden, you listening. People say, "Dr. Warden, you listening. People say, "Dr. Warden, you do so many things. What What do you do do so many things. What What do you do do so many things. What What do you do for relaxation?" I say, "Sit in front of

Innovative, non-traditional solutions 2:36

for relaxation?" I say, "Sit in front of for relaxation?" I say, "Sit in front of a patient." a patient." a patient." That calms me down. I listen. I put the That calms me down. I listen. I put the That calms me down. I listen. I put the pieces together with the puzzle and come pieces together with the puzzle and come pieces together with the puzzle and come up with a plan. That is what I do to up with a plan. That is what I do to up with a plan. That is what I do to relax besides do other things.

relax besides do other things. relax besides do other things. Well, for those of you listening, Dr. Well, for those of you listening, Dr. Well, for those of you listening, Dr. Denise's why, like we talked about, is Denise's why, like we talked about, is Denise's why, like we talked about, is to make sense of the complex and to make sense of the complex and to make sense of the complex and challenging and you can see that coming challenging and you can see that coming challenging and you can see that coming through loud and clear, right? She is through loud and clear, right? She is through loud and clear, right? She is can solve problems like nobody's can solve problems like nobody's can solve problems like nobody's business. How she does that is by business. How she does that is by business. How she does that is by constantly looking for better ways.

Evaluating traditional therapies and chemo 3:06

constantly looking for better ways. constantly looking for better ways. She's always on the hunt for what is She's always on the hunt for what is She's always on the hunt for what is better, what's going to make this, better, what's going to make this, better, what's going to make this, what's innovative, what's truly going to what's innovative, what's truly going to what's innovative, what's truly going to work. But ultimately, what she brings work. But ultimately, what she brings work. But ultimately, what she brings are outside the box, non-traditional, are outside the box, non-traditional, are outside the box, non-traditional, non-typical solutions that are going to non-typical solutions that are going to non-typical solutions that are going to work for you because she's done the work for you because she's done the work for you because she's done the research. She's found something better, research. She's found something better, research. She's found something better, and now she's bringing you something and now she's bringing you something and now she's bringing you something that's going to work for you. Does that that's going to work for you. Does that that's going to work for you. Does that feel right to you? It does feel right.

feel right to you? It does feel right. feel right to you? It does feel right. You know, I mean, I don't there are You know, I mean, I don't there are You know, I mean, I don't there are traditional therapies that make sense as traditional therapies that make sense as traditional therapies that make sense as long as it makes sense and I'll say, long as it makes sense and I'll say, long as it makes sense and I'll say, "Okay, this one sounds good. This chemo "Okay, this one sounds good. This chemo "Okay, this one sounds good. This chemo for you is not that toxic. I can help for you is not that toxic. I can help for you is not that toxic. I can help you with the side effects and it's going you with the side effects and it's going you with the side effects and it's going to kill 90% of your cancer cells." Let's to kill 90% of your cancer cells." Let's to kill 90% of your cancer cells." Let's think about it. Even though there may think about it. Even though there may think about it. Even though there may leave some cancer stem cells, Gary